The Travels of Jack van Ommen

Tuesday April 30. Dutch Treat.

Written by Jack van Ommen on May 2nd, 2013

By now the world knows that Holland has their new king, Willem Alexander and their queen Maxima. It was an unforgettable day for me. Non stop entertainment. Truly a Dutch Treat. Particularly in Amsterdam. I rode my folding bike from Badhoevedorp to the Dam square for the morning appearance of the new royalty on the palace balcony. But it was impossible to get close enough. But I did get a feeling of the crowd and their enthusiasm. André Rieu gave a free concert in the evening, compliments of the national lottery.

I expect to remove the last of the teak deck tomorrow. It has been a very difficult job and is taking much longer than I had planned for. Today, it is Thursday meanwhile, I move onto a club member’s sailboat. Homeless but sheltered. This is just across the water from where I am working on “Fleetwood”. Back and forth in the rubber duck.

Last night we had another rehearsal for this Saturday’s concert of Faure’s Requiem. Friday the general rehearsal with the other choir and then we are off on Wednesday to Rome.

The crowd on the Dam Square in Amsterdam. The “New Church” where the installation took place. To the left the Royal Palace. On the right the large TV screen showing the royal family on the palace balcony. The Amsterdam landmark department store “De Bijenkorf” crowned for the occasion. Far overhead the remote controlled TV camera on a cable suspended from a wire over the square.